Rancho Paradiso Road
by MandaPanda2
Summary: Don't patronize me by saying it has possibilities.


Disclaimer: Characters belong to Aaron Spelling, E. Duke Vincent, Gary Tomlin, NBC, et al and are used here strictly for non-profit entertainment purposes.  
Rating: T  
Genre: Drama  
Spoilers: Whole series  
Summary: Don't patronize me by saying it has possibilities.

* * *

Gregory sat in the driver's seat, drumming his fingers along the base of the steering wheel. A song, something unfamiliar, droned quietly on the radio. He never cared about which station it was tuned to, but Olivia couldn't get into his car without fiddling with the dial until she found something she liked. A half-smile lit his face as he looked up at the house down the street. The first floor lights were still on and he imagined her and Bette in there, talking about God-only-knew-what.

Officially, he left more than half an hour ago.

_He stood at the door, his arms around Olivia's waist as her arms snaked around his neck. "Come back to my place," he whispered between kisses. _

_Her fingers danced through his hair as she looked up at him, her blue eyes wide. "So tempting," she murmured, starting against him as his hand dropped to her rear. "But, I want to stay just a bit longer with Bette." She turned and he followed her gaze, watching the forlorn red head sitting on the sofa. "She's had such a hard time of it since Jeffrey's death." _

Unofficially, he returned less than five minutes later. That's how long it took for him to get in his car, reverse down the driveway, drive around the block, and park on the shadowy side of the street. The summer heat was oppressive, even with the window rolled down. He leaned back in the seat, feeling beads of sweat beneath his thighs. But, he wasn't leaving. Not until he knew.

You see, Olivia was hiding something from him. And, she had been since the day he met her just over two months ago.

Tonight was the night the secrets ended.

She always met him at Bette's house or his condo by the marina. She's never let him pick her up at her apartment. He's never even _seen_ it.

_Just hold me close  
__Don't ever let me go_

He sighed. He could hardly remember a time before Olivia. She blew into his life like a whirlwind and she's delightfully taken up residence. "Permanently," he whispered. When he closed his eyes and thought about his future, she was the only glorious vision he saw. She was his beginning, his middle, and his end. She's the only woman he wanted to be married to for eternity. She's the only woman who could be the mother of his children.

Not that he ever bought into cliches, but he knows she's _the one_.

Across the street, he heard Bette's front door slam shut. He sat up, watching and waiting. The street was quiet and deserted, the slight noises carrying the greatest echo. He heard Olivia's car start and, a moment later, he saw the decades-old Beetle rumble down the driveway. She backed into the street and slowly drove off in the opposite direction.

Her car was more than halfway down the street before he started his own car and followed her.

The streets were shrouded in darkness and he was suddenly grateful for them. It made it easier to follow her, though he doubted she was even paying attention to the car behind her. She wasn't the most attentive of drivers. He kept his eyes on the tail lights of her car, letting the distance between them grow. Hot air rushed in though the driver's side window and stirred his hair, but brought him little comfort. He rested his arm on the window, his mind racing.

Where were they going?

As he followed her through the streets, he began to understand. The polished and manicured streets with vintage lamp posts gave way to ones with overgrown hedges and crumbling homes. Chain link fences replaced the stone walls surrounding the homes on the beach. This was not the area of town the city fathers lauded. This section was devoid of the charm of Old Sunset Beach, the historic section that was painstakingly restored and kept pristine. This section missed the opulence of the mansions dotting the ocean front.

He made a left onto Rancho Paradiso Road, slowing down when Olivia did. He pulled his car up to the curb and parked, watching as she pulled into an alley next to a decrepit looking apartment building. It had decidedly seen _better_ days. The street was lit only by the moonlight and he watched as Olivia walked around to the entrance, quickly glancing around. She disappeared into the building and he exhaled deeply.

How could she think this would matter?

A light came on in the second floor corner unit and he looked up. Olivia appeared briefly, framed in the illuminated window before she drew the curtains closed. A moment later, he rolled up the car window and got out. The distant howl of a dog greeted him and he sighed, glancing around. Rancho Paradiso Road was _not_ a street that lived up to its name.

His footsteps carried a quiet echo on the pavement as he crossed the street and walked up to the apartment building. His eyes danced over the entrance and he was dismayed to see the lock missing on the foyer door. He reached out with a sigh and pulled it open, stepping into the vestibule. Chicken bones littered the linoleum floor and his nose wrinkled at the sour smell lingering in the thick stagnant air. He quickly walked up the stairs, ignoring the peeling paint and water stains discoloring the walls. He turned the corner and walked down the hall. The corner apartment, the one he saw Olivia in, was on the right. He inhaled quickly and knocked on the door.

A moment later, he heard footsteps and then she called out, "Yes?" Tentatively. A hint of fear.

He looked at the door, painted with a shiny brown lacquer. But, there was no view hole. She couldn't see it was him. "Olivia."

Silence.

The door stayed tightly locked and closed. He frowned and stepped closer to it, speaking into the corner where he imagined she was standing. "Sweetheart, I know you're in there."

"What are you doing here?" he heard her ask. Panic now replaced the fear. "How?"

"Olivia, let me in," he said softly. He waited patiently, still not hearing anything. No turning locks, no twisting door knob. "Liv?" he whispered. "Liv, please?" He heard her sigh deeply through the door. A moment later, he heard the locks click and give way.

She opened the door slightly, her pale face appearing in the crack. She watched him for a long moment and he could see the tears in her eyes. A heartbeat later, she opened the door all the way and he stepped in. He stood quietly, taking in the space. There wasn't much to see. A spartan bed in the corner with a thin comforter and flat pillows. A metal clothes rack against the long wall. An open suitcase on the floor next to the rack. A hot plate on a wood chair in the other corner across from the door. A lamp on the floor next to the bed, yellow light burning through the flimsy shade. The walls were a depressing shade of mustard yellow and ugly against the brown plaid curtains.

He turned to Olivia, who stood against the wall next to the door, her eyes downcast. Her hands were clasped tight in front of her, her shoulders lowered in defeat. She was still in the dress she wore to his firm's cocktail party, though her hair was now pinned up and off her neck. With a sigh, he slipped his arms out of his suit coat and walked across the small room to hang it on the rack next to her nurse's uniform. "Well," he said simply as he turned back around, "it has a lot of possibilities."

"Gregory, _please_," she murmured. But, she still wouldn't look at him.

"No, really," he insisted, walking around. A narrow bookcase was carved into the wall, but she didn't have books on it. The top two shelves were bare. But, on the third shelf was a small framed photo of an older couple. Her parents. His eyes danced down to the fourth shelf. The delicate bottle of Chanel he bought for her stood reverently in the center next to a Polaroid of the two of them. He reached out, his finger tip brushing the edge.

"Stop!" she said sharply. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that she had finally looked up. A flush rose in her throat as she hissed, "It's awful! It's small! It's depressing!" She brushed away an angry tear as she moved towards him. "Don't patronize me by saying it has _possibilities_."

He sighed and reached out, cupping her shoulders. "Is that why you didn't want me to see it?" he asked softly. "You thought I would mock you?"

She exhaled deeply, shaking her head. Her chin trembled as she looked away from him. "It's a _horrid_ place to live. I never wanted you to see it because..."

"Because why?" he asked when she trailed off into silence and lowered her face. She murmured a reply beneath her breath, but he couldn't make it out. He drew her in, holding her against his chest. "You're what?"

She hung her head and he could feel the waves of shame radiating off her. "Poor," she repeated glumly. But, she still wouldn't look up at him.

The word lingered between them, festering in the silence. "Poor?" he asked, repeating the word as if he had never said it before.

She nodded and she sniffed, wiping at her eyes. He reached out, cupping her head to his chest as he kissed her forehead. "My parents aren't wealthy," he heard her murmur. His eyes flickered up to the photo of them on the third shelf. "I barely make any money at the hospital. I'm...not rich like you."

He cupped her chin, finally turning her face to his. Her eyes were dulled with tears and he sighed deeply. "Is that supposed to change anything?" he asked. She only blinked in reply, causing hot tears to spill onto her cheeks. He reached up and brushed them away before he wrapped his arms around her. A grateful sigh filled his chest when he felt her hug him back. This couldn't matter. He wouldn't let it. She was his vision for eternity. "I _love_ you, Liv," he whispered and he felt a tremor go through her.

She shook her head and looked up slowly. "But-"

"But nothing." His expression softened as he cupped her face, his eyes poring into hers. "I love you. That's it. Your finances don't change anything." If anything, this made him love her more. He wanted to protect her from ever feeling shame again. From ever feeling that she wasn't somehow worthy of him. He wanted to give her the world. He wanted to make her happy. He wanted to see her smile. So, he leaned in and softly kissed her nose.

It had the desired effect.

A smiled bloomed on her lips as her hands covered his. "You're not angry?" she asked in an incredulous whisper, watching him carefully.

He shook his head. "No more secrets though."

There was a moment of hesitation, something that flickered in her eyes before she shook her head. As she wrapped her arms around him, hugging tight, she said, "Just that I love you." Their eyes met as she continued, "How _much_ I love you."

He leaned in, pressing his lips to hers. Softly, then stronger. She inhaled as he kissed her, tasting promise and desire on her lips. Her arms went around his neck as his hands ran down her back. "Is my car fine out on the street?" he murmured against her lips.

"Hmm?"

"Overnight...or will it be stolen?"

"What?" she asked as her hands gently loosened the knot of his tie.

"Liv," he sighed, expertly undoing the delicate buttons at the back of her dress, "I'm inviting myself to spend the night." She looked up, her lipstick smudged against her mouth as her dress fell to the floor. "Will my car still be there in the morning?"

She chuckled and nodded as she pulled the tie from around his neck. "I hope so. It _is_ the nicest car that I've seen here since I moved in."

"If it's not," he replied as he kissed his way down her throat, "you're buying me breakfast at the Waffle Shop." Her head fell back as he turned her around and gently lowered her to the bed. She nodded as she looked up at him, her blue eyes clear, as he painstakingly unfastened the buttons of his shirt. He crawled in next to her, his arm wrapped around her legs. She leaned up, her bashful kiss seguing into a powerful one as he pulled her against him.

* * *

Gregory's car was still parked on the street the next morning.

Olivia still bought him breakfast at the Waffle Shop.

THE END.

* * *

_A/N: The song is Raspberries' "Go All the Way" (written by Eric Carmen)._


End file.
